Come Back to Me by Melissa Foster (Book Review)

Title: Come Back to Me

Author: Melissa Foster
Publisher: Greenforge Books

About the Book: Tess Johnson has it all: her handsome photographer husband Beau, a thriving business, and a newly discovered pregnancy. When Beau accepts an overseas photography assignment, Tess decides to wait to reveal her secret—only she’s never given the chance. Beau’s helicopter crashes in the desert.

Tess struggles with the news of Beau’s death and tries to put her life back together. Alone and dealing with a pregnancy that only reminds her of what she has lost, Tess is adrift in a world of failed plans and fallen expectations. When a new client appears offering more than just a new project, Tess must confront the circumstances of her life head on.

Meanwhile, two Iraqi women who are fleeing honor killings find Beau barely alive in the middle of the desert, his body ravaged by the crash. Suha, a doctor, and Samira, a widow and mother of three young children, nurse him back to health in a makeshift tent. Beau bonds with the women and children, and together, with the help of an underground organization, they continue their dangerous escape.

What happens next is a test of loyalties, strength, and love.

My thoughts: I pretty much read this book in one sitting, and that doesn't happen very often with me.  I was very much caught up in the storyline and there were times when I was actually holding my breath, waiting to see what would happen.  Tess, Beau, Alice, Kevin, Louie, Samira and her family - these are all real people, with real lives - not sugar-coated characters in a book.  Life is messy.  Relationships are messy.  Sometimes we are not in control of what happens in our life, but somehow have to work with what is left when the dust settles.  Melissa Foster makes her characters dig down deep, through the pain and the reality, and swim through it all back to the surface. 

All through out the book, just the way that relationships were forming and situations were evolving, I knew that someone would probably be hurt in the end.  I did not know how it could resolve itself so that everyone would be happy.  Even coming to that conclusion, I definitely did not see this ending coming.  My advice to you?  Keep a box of kleenexes handy!  

~I received a complimentary ebook from the author in exchange for my review.~

You can connect with Melissa in many places - on her blog, website, facebook, goodreads, and at WoMen's Literary Cafe.

Come Back to Me

Publisher/Publication Date: Greenforge Books, Nov 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0984716517

316 pages

Challenges:

Where Are You Reading?

A to Z Reading Challenge

ARC Reading Challenge (So Many Precious Books, So Little Time)

ARC Reading Challenge (The Eclectic Bookshelf)

Free Reads (Bookish Ardour)

Ebook Challenge (Workaday Reads)

E-book Reading Challenge (The Eclectic Bookshelf)

Find the Cover/Coversuch

Romance Reading Challenge (the bookworm)

Romance Reading Challenge (The Eclectic bookshelf)

WoMen's Literary Cafe Authors Gratitude Blog Hop - Nov 16 -

That Little Voice

by Bonnie Trachtenberg

Although I don’t consider myself a religious person, I am quite spiritual and do believe in higher beings of love that listen to us when we pray. That’s why before going to sleep at night, after a long day of work, I take a few minutes to connect and show gratitude. I generally begin by thanking God for all the gifts in my life. The health, happiness, safety and longevity of my family, friends and pets come first. Then I pray for all the suffering in the world to end, from abused children and animals to war-torn communities to starving people around the globe. I ask God to please help enlighten the people who use religion as an excuse to hate instead of love, and to rip people apart instead of bringing them together. I also thank my loved ones who have passed, for I believe they have a hand in many of the good things that have come my way. And of course, if anyone I know is sick or in emotional distress or crisis, I say special prayers for them, too.


I’ve repeated this bedtime practice for many years, but I’ll never forget the night, when just after uttering my prayers, something wild and completely unexpected happened—someone answered! It was just a brief few words that I heard—a question actually—but it stunned me nonetheless. In my head, after once again directing my prayers at others, I heard a loving voice say, What about you, Bonnie?


I recall my eyes shooting open wide, wondering where it came from. It wasn’t my roommate, who was the only other occupant of the house, of that I was sure. So was it an angel? A passed loved one? My own evolved spirit? One thing was for sure, I knew it was not coming from my own thoughts. You see, I always thought prayer should be about others and about trying to better the world. I thought it was too selfish to pray for things I may have wanted, since unlike so many others, I had most of the things I needed. So where did this comment come from? There was only one answer that made sense to me. Some higher being was letting me know it was okay to wish for even more abundance.


From then on, I’ve added to my prayers things that would even more greatly enhance my life: a truly fulfilling job; a loving man to share my life with; true contentment and love—all of which have been answered. And when I was laid off from that fulfilling job a few years ago, I had a surprisingly good outlook. Probably because I felt it was God’s little kick in the side that I needed to finally finish the book I’d been writing sporadically for years. I did. In June of this year, Wedlocked: A Novel was finally published and I had no qualms about praying for its success. Amazingly, after four months of hard marketing, it actually hit Amazon’s bestseller lists, and as an added bonus, Wedlocked became an Award-Winning Finalist in its category for USA Book News’ “BEST BOOKS OF 2011”.

So this year, like every year, I’m thankful for all the usual things I cherish. But I’m also grateful that I listened to the little voice that startled me out of my prayers all those years ago. Until then, I had felt unworthy of such a wonderful dream—but now I realize somebody up there doesn’t think so and just wanted to let me know!


The WoMen's Literary Cafe Authors wish to thank all of the support we had on our recent book launch. As a thank you, three of you can win an ebook copy of “Wedlocked: A Novel”.  Just leave a comment telling what you are thankful for with your email address.  One entry per person - open worldwide!  TODAY ONLY!

About Wedlocked: On what should be the happiest day of her life, Rebecca Ross is panic stricken. Rebecca has just wed Craig Jacobs, but she realizes she put more thought into choosing her florist than she did in choosing the man she's just pledged to love for the rest of her life.

Before Craig, Rebecca, a talented Long Island girl, dreamed of following in her grandmother's footsteps with an acting career. Unfortunately, she was cut down to size by years of disappointment, and by her first love-a Hollywood director. She returned to Long Island a lost and broken woman, and ended up in the last place she ever wanted: her old bedroom at her parents' house.

But Rebecca's mother, an overzealous convert to Judaism, has a long held dream too: marry off her three daughters to Jewish men. So no one is more thrilled than her when Rebecca meets and marries bon vivant Craig Jacobs, the man who has won over the whole family. Too bad they're all about to discover that underneath his charismatic shell, this Prince Charming is anything but!


Bonnie Trachtenberg is the award-winning, bestselling author of Wedlocked: A Novel, a romantic comedy about a hilariously disastrous marriage. It is available in hardcover, paperback, and now for only 99 cents on Kindle and Nook. Bonnie was senior writer/copy chief at Book–of-the-Month Club. She lives on Long Island with her husband and a houseful of adorable pets. http://ning.it/ovIMiw


All of the blogs listed below are hosting wonderful authors on Nov 16th and are all having GIVEAWAYS!  Be sure to visit them all on Wednesday!